Tobacco curing stick



Oct. 1, 1957 JjvlcKERs 2,808,283

TOBACCO CURING STICK Filed Dec. 29, 1954 Il 1| n Il u WH u n 1| u fr@ l; E@ A? 'I y 3 nll Il Il Il Il .lu/ian Vickers INVENTOR.

8 BY Mn/MW 19M@ United States Patent O TOBACCO CURING STICK Julian Vickers, Willacoochee, Ga.

Application December 29, 1954, Serial No. 478,338

1 Claim. (Cl. 294-55) This invention relates to argicultural equipment, and more particularly to a novel tobacco curing stick.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the provision of a tobacco curing stick which will save time and reduce labor costs in the handling of tobacco leaves from field to curing barn while better facilitating the killing and curing out of the stems of tobacco leaves.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of a tobacco stick which eliminates the necessity for twine for securing tobacco leaves on a tobacco stick.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of a tobacco stick which employs spikes or pointed rods for engaging the upper edges of the leaves or stems to thereby lessen the hazard of the leaves falling on curing flues and causing burning of barns while also being of metallic construction and absorbing heat which together with the air space therearound causes better and faster stem killing and curing.

An additional advantage of this invention lies in the elimination of the workman who hands the leaves to the stringer when tobacco leaves are strung on tobacco sticks conventionally.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in the provision of a tobacco stick that is strong and durable, simple in construction and manufacture, economical to use since the reduced time and labor incident to the utilization of this tobacco stick will result in considerable saving, and which is capable of readily being mass produced.

Th'ese, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this tobacco curing stick, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein: Y

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the tobacco curing stick comprising the present invention with tobacco leaves operatively 'positioned thereon;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the tobacco curing stick;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view as taken along the plane of line 3-3 in Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of one end of the tobacco curing stick.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral is used to generally designate the tobacco curing stick comprising the present invention. This tobacco curing stick includes an intermediate bar 12 constructed of wood of Patented Oct. l, 1957 Va plurality of spikes 14 driven therethrough to form rods with pointed ends. Also secured, as by nails or any other suitable fasteners, to the intermediate bar 12 are spacer blocks 16 and 18.

Secured by means of suitable nails or other fasteners to the intermediate bar 12 is an outer bar 20 formed of wood. Secured by means of pins or nails 22 and 24 to the outer bar 20 are a pair of links 26 and 28 which form hinges and which have their other ends secured by means of pins or nails 30 and 32 to another outer bar 34. In this manner, the outer bar 34 is capable of being pivoted through the hinge connection, as is sh-ownin the phantom lines in Figure 2.

The outer bar 20 has pivotally attached thereto by means of a pin or nail 36 a latch 38 which is engageable about a detent 40 attached to the outer bar 34.4 The latch 38 serves to lockingly engage the detent 40 to hold the outer bar 34 in engagement with the 'spacer block 16 and so arranged that the p-ointed free ends of the rods formed by the spikes 14 extend into the slot 42 formed inthe outer bar 34.

In use, with the outer bar 34 pivoted into an open position, a desired amount of leaves are placed on each of the spikes or pointed rods 14 and then, the outer bar 34 is pivoted to its closed position and locked by means of latch 38. Then, the bar 10 can be utilized-in a manner similar to that of any conventional tobacco curing stick, noting that the thermal conductivity of the spikes 14 is such that he'at will be transferred to the stems of the tobacco leaves at arate whereby'the tobacco leaves will be cured faster and in a better manner.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of this'device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily 'occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A tobacco curing stick comprising a rst outer bar having a latch secured thereto, a second outer bar, a hinge comprising a pair of opposed links pivotally attached to said first outer bar and said second outer bar,

said latch being engageable with a detent on said second i outer bar, said second outer bar having an elongated slot therethrough, the free ends of said rods being receivable in said slot, said second outer bar being engageable with said spacer blocks limiting the penetration of said slot by the free ends of said rods.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Broughton Ian. 13, 1948 Tillman -May 24, 1955 

